


Paladins of the Force

by Rachel3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angst, Drama, Gen, plot without porn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2018-12-18 19:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11881035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel3/pseuds/Rachel3
Summary: "Keith knew that nothing good would come about the instance he felt the grim presence in the Force. His hand reflexively strayed to the lightsaber hidden in his pocket before he fought down the urge to whip it out. That would be the stupidest thing ever, the kind that Lance pulled off. Keith didn’t even know where exactly the source of the presence was, let alone if they were hostile, and pulling out his weapon would only draw attention.But as a Jedi Investigator, it was his job to make sure it wasn’t anyone dangerous, so he closed his eyes and cleared his mind."Voltron LD's characters, Star Wars' setting. Keith's the protagonist. Shiro's going to be important, and I've got a friend who's a hopeless Lance's fan, so he'll get POV chapters too. Hunk and Pidge are present and will have their share. Other characters from Voltron and/or Star Wars may appear or be mentioned.





	1. Return of the New Old

**Author's Note:**

> Watching Voltron I always thought that Keith is an excellent Jedi Knight material. I mean, when they told him he would sense his lion on the Galra ship, all I heard was, "Use the Force, Keith!". I'm aware there are other fics with this AU, I even read some of them (shoutout to @buttered_onions, I really wish you wrote another part of your series!), but I want to keep mine different from them. This is the reason why I didn't give Keith a violet lightsaber - which I always thought would fit him - but instead... well, you'll see. I don't have a detailed outline, but I'll try to keep this around 30-40k words, 'cause I have a lot of original stuff to write, and giving my writing time to a fanfiction is an odd experience for me. A fun one, too. Will see how it goes.
> 
> For the nerds - this is not going to be 100% accurate Star Wars canon, and some of the characters are going through minor changes (e.g. Pidge didn't have a reason to hide her identity, so she'll have her hair long). Be warned and don't eat me over this.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :)

Keith knew that nothing good would come about the instance he felt the grim presence in the Force. His hand reflexively strayed to the lightsaber hidden in his pocket before he fought down the urge to whip it out. It would be the stupidest thing ever, the kind that Lance pulled off. Keith didn’t even know where exactly the source of the presence was, let alone if they were hostile, and pulling out his weapon would only draw attention.

But as a Jedi Investigator, it was his job to make sure it wasn’t anyone dangerous, so he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Still keeping his own signature hidden like he was used to, he ventured toward the grimness. The cold swept over him, even though he was careful not to prod too much, as it would warn the person that another Force user was on their back.

The presence emanated from the docs nearby. That made sense, as Keith sensed it only moments ago. The owner must have just arrived on Coruscant, or at least on this part of the planet. Keith opened his eyes and went it the memorized direction.

A constant stream of people passed through the streets, and a single young man drew no attention in the mostly humanoid crowd. Keith reached the docs, then hesitated as he saw more than a dozen ships parked there, people going in and out. Would he have to risk and pinpoint the stranger’s location through the Force after all?

Then he saw a man clad in a black cloak passing through the hall, and he smiled slightly. Only Force users were dumb enough to presume that such a clothing would make them inconspicuous. Or, er, most Force users were, for of course Keith was smarter than that and he wore a casual jacket and pants, stuff that pilots often chose.

That was precisely why he was a Jedi Sentinel rather than a Guardian in the first place. The job required brains. The likes of Lance just wouldn’t make it. It had absolutely nothing to do with that silly talk of working in a team, something that Lance apparently excelled at.

_ Focus,  _ Keith scolded himself. The black cloak was moving away.

Keith picked his way across the streets, keeping safe distance. It wasn’t the first time he followed someone, so he knew how to behave. Not look at the target intently, change the distance somewhat so it looks as if you’re just walking in the same direction. He could allow himself more liberty of movement than usual, as the coldness emanating from the stranger was strong enough that he didn’t need conscious effort to sense it. He didn’t have to look at the man to know where he was heading.

Eventually the stranger paused by a shop. Keith frowned; this wasn’t the part of the city that he was accustomed to, but the building looked nothing more than a simple workshop specialized in repairing electronics. Down here, where the sun didn’t reach, people rarely had the money to buy new things every time the old ones broke, and even if they did, they would still try to sell the junk for parts.

There was no reason for a newcomer to visit the workshop here right after arriving. Similar and better ones were scattered across the galaxy. This couldn’t be his goal for traveling here.

Keith pretended to be interested in the fruits on the stall a few yards away, watching the stranger talk from the corner of his eye. He tuned his senses with the Force, making them more acute, so that he could hear the words over the general din.

“...by next free day, I promise. I miss one crucial part, my friends need more time to get it,” that was the owner talking.

“You’re straining my patience,” the stranger’s voice was quiet and cold. He paused for a second. “What is that part? Perhaps I can acquire it faster than those… friends of yours.”

The owner gulped so loudly that even Keith heard it.

“It’s… well, you know.” He lowered his voice. “Kyber crystals. At least three.”

“Ah, but of course,” the stranger sounded less cold and more thoughtful. “You could have told me sooner. I wouldn’t have to journey all the way here.”

“It was risky to send the message,” the owner murmured. “Jedi are all jumpy about their crystals like a jealous wife about her husband. Perhaps that’s what they get after a life without any ties, eh? Need to find a substitute.”

The sudden surge in coldness told Keith that the joke was lost on the stranger. Not that it was particularly funny to him, either.

“I’ll get the crystals for you,” the stranger said at last. “A whole handful of them, if needed. I’ll be back in two days, so until then prepare all the other parts, got it?”

Two days? Keith felt a chill. How did the stranger plan on finding not just one, but several kyber crystals in two days? And who the hell he was? Not a Jedi, clearly, no Jedi’s presence was so cold, and yet the Force was so strong with him…

Almost as strong as a person Keith once knew. This realization rendered his mind blank for moment, his heart racing.

“Or perhaps I’ll be back sooner,” the stranger said. “Until then.” And he walked away.

Keith shook his head, pulling himself together. His heart still fluttered as he regarded the black-clad figure. Was his stature the same? The voice? No, it was impossible to tell when the stranger had nearly whispered. But the presence, the icy, piercing presence… Now that Keith tried to sense past the cold, it did ring a familiar bell…

But it couldn’t be. Shiro was long dead. For almost two years, though it felt like much longer.

Keith clenched his hand so hard that if not for his gloves, he would have wounded himself. He followed after the man – the  _ stranger _ – now wishing of nothing else but to catch a glance of his face. To reassure himself that impossible was indeed impossible, and quench the hope and fear before they drove him nuts.

The man led him deeper down the city, to an even less familiar district. Keith had been at this level a couple of times, but he never stayed long. On the side of the planet exactly opposite to the Jedi Temple, it was by far the most rundown and the most dangerous area of the city. The old neon lamps around provided poor illumination, and the air stank of oil and filth. If Coruscant had been something less than the Republic’s capital, people would’ve outright called this district ‘slums’. But that didn’t fit the popular narrative in the mass media, so the city’s worst depths weren’t referred to at all.

Ever since Keith became a Jedi Investigator and began working undercover in the underground, he found himself increasingly sceptical of the Republic. Perhaps that was only because here he was rubbing against the worst parts of it, and nothing more – an environmental bias.

He wanted it to be just an environmental bias.

The man hastened his pace suddenly, which caused Keith’s heart to skip a beat. Had he been spotted? Hardly any people passed by this way, he had to stand out. Maybe he should retreat…

_ Bah,  _ he thought, speeding up. He had to find out who this man was and what he wanted with the kybers. And he was right there, within Keith’s reach. He couldn’t miss an opportunity like that. Besides, it was his duty.

He rounded the corner and stopped, as he found the alley behind empty. He looked around, frantic, searching for any clue.

“So it’s you after all,” the familiar voice said from behind his back. “Long time no see.”

Keith’s breath caught in his throat.  _ That voice… _ He spun around as fast as he could to see the man standing in the alley’s entrance, the hood of his cloak pulled down. His face was unmistakable even in the wan light.

Impossible came real after all.

“Shiro,” Keith breathed.

Shiro gave him a curt nod. He seemed thoughtful as he murmured, “It must be the Force that brought you here.” He paused. “Or were you on my trail for long and I, the fool, haven’t noticed?”

Keith shook his head, trying to clear his mind. “I was just passing by. I’m now working underground,” he said absently. “But, what’s important! How are  _ you  _ here? I thought you were dead! Everybody thought you were dead! Where have you been all that time? Why haven’t you contacted the Temple? Why–”

Shiro lifted a palm, the all-too-familiar smile playing on his lips. “That’s plenty of questions at once,” he said. “And I don’t have time to answer them.”

“But it’s been so long!” Keith blurted. He wanted to cut the distance between them, but an inner instinct raised alarm at the thought.

Something was off. The alley they were in was a dead end, buildings on all the sides too tall to jump on. And Shiro, not so subtly, stood right in the entrance, blocking it.

_ But it’s Shiro!  _ Keith thought. Of course he could trust Shiro.

The other, darker part of his mind replied,  _ Well then, what about the cold? _

It was still there, permeating the air, almost tangible to any Force sensitive who would happen to be close. And it came from Shiro, there was no doubting that.

Keith felt sweat breaking on the back of his neck. Oh, he hated it. This standing still, keeping his face straight. Lying, if not in words, then by stifling the urge to fight or run.

“You’re right, it’s too many questions,” he said, forcing his tone to remain light. While talking, he slowly closed his hands together behind his back, searching for the band on his wrist and then the button on its side. “Perhaps we should discuss them elsewhere.” He pressed the button, but he knew that it would take hours for whoever the Temple would send to arrive. He needed time. “We should go back to the Temple, everybody will be so happy to see you alive! Hunk, and…”  _ Lance,  _ he wanted to say, but his throat tightened.

“No, Keith,” Shiro said. The smile was still on his lips, but now it looked different. There was no kindness in it, just the cold. “ _ You  _ should go back to the Temple, without me. Actually, I need you to fetch something for me. But you see… I can’t have others know that I’m alive yet.”

A chill climbed up Keith's spine, and he reached for his lightsaber as Shiro drew his. They both ignited at the same moment, red and yellow lights slashing through the shadows.

Shiro seemed slightly surprised. “I see you changed your color.” He pointed at the yellow blade. “You lost your previous one on Mustafar, didn’t you?”

_ Along with you,  _ Keith thought.

“You, too,” he said. “I remember yours as distinctly blue as well.”

Shiro chuckled. “Oh yes, we both wanted to be Guardians. Look how it turned out.”

He seemed at ease, but the cold intensified. Keith braced himself, then leaped forward, calling the Force to speed up his movements. Shiro raised his blade and blocked, the red gleam painting his face an image from nightmares.

Keith attacked again. They had sparred thousands of times throughout their training at the Temple and beyond. He knew that Shiro had a better technique, endurance, and attunement with the Force. Keith’s only trump card was his speed.

Besides, he didn’t need to beat Shiro. He didn’t  _ want _ to beat Shiro, even now when he sensed the cold breaths of the Dark Side spreading from the muscular figure before him. He had to just run away and report what had happened to the Temple. So he slashed at Shiro’s face two times, forcing his guard high, then bent and slid on the metallic ground right under his nose.

He rose quickly and started down the street, but the Force clenched around him, lifted him from the ground. Keith tried to fight it, shake it off, but Force defence was never his strong side. And now he felt so cold…

“Not bad,” Shiro said. “Long ago, perhaps you would have run. But as you learned, so did I… And see, I believe I learned a great deal more than you.”

The Force shoved Keith against the wall. A cry escaped his lips. His head pained, as if someone was thrusting needles in it, even though he didn’t get it hit.

“We share a connection,” Shiro said, his voice distant in Keith’s ears. “That’s interesting. But also handy. Because like I said, I need you to fetch some things for me…”

He was still talking, but Keith couldn’t make out the words. The cold overwhelmed him, clenching him in its grasp, until he didn’t feel anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This went wild much faster than I expected - when I started writing the chapter I didn't even know that the cloaked person would be Shiro. I suspect this is because writing a fic skips a lot of hard work a writer must do, that is, introducing the reader to the characters and the world, and skims right into the juicy parts. So the whole backstory emerged on the run, but don't worry, now I have it whole in my head. It's the way I come up with stuff quite often, just writing the first chapter, and the ending kinda presents itself too me. Here I'll likely go around more freely, so I dunno how the overall plot structure will come out, but to hell with it, it's written for fun.
> 
> If you read and enjoyed, I have a request - please, leave kudos and a comment. Comments motivate me to write, so you'll get the story faster, and the risk that I'll abandon it goes down.
> 
> Also, if you're an English native or an English expert of some sort and you see a grammar/language mistake (odd phrasing, a word used wrongly, something else), please let me know. I'm not native English, so I'm sure there are many mistakes that I make, which for you are easy to spot. If you let me know about it, I'll learn and hopefully not make those mistakes again in the future chapters and my other writing!


	2. It's a Trap!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's POV, just to give you a glimpse of what he, Pidge, and Hunk were doing while Keith worked undercover in the depths of Coruscant...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait - but I'm writing other stuff first and foremost. This fanfiction is the only one I ever tried to write, and I intend to finish it, but it may take a while. I hope you enjoy it nevertheless :)

As the blaster fire grew stronger, Lance had to admit to himself that he got duped. Not only had the enemy noticed him, but that beautiful alien lady had led him right into the perfect spot to serve as an aiming target. ‘Just need to fix my face and I’ll be back, handsome,’ she had said. Well, she wasn’t back, and five destroyer droids had blocked the entrance instead. Lance should have known. There was no need for her to fix her face, it was already perfect. But he hadn’t realized that it was a trap back then, and now he had to clench his teeth, block and dodge, while the droids rained energy bolts at him. The Force danced with him, but he knew that even with its aid he wouldn’t last long.

The control panel beside the door caught his eye. Lance took in a breath, calling for the Force to grant him the necessary guidance, then skid across the room. The shots followed him, a second too late, as he was already at the panel. He reached into the electronics with his inner senses, bending the charges to his liking. He didn’t have to know how exactly the circuits worked, the Force knew it for him.

The door closed, and the lights on the control panel turned red, indicating that they were blocked. Lance let out a breath, then turned on his com.

“Pidge, I need a little help,” he pleaded.

“Oh, how did I know that you’d call sooner or later,” Pidge’s all-too-full-of-herself voice came from the earpiece. “Let me guess, you are being pinned by a bunch of destroyer droids in one room or another, aren’t you?”

Lance paused, baffled. “How did you know?”

“ ‘Cause ten or so droids of the same type surrounded my room after you walked off with that pretty face,” Pidge said. “Fortunately this technical center has a solid door. I just need ten more minutes to download all the data, then I’ll come to save your sorry ass. You can hold out this long, can't you?”

Lance gritted his teeth. When Pidge was in her know-it-all mode, she became difficult to bear. Not that she had urged him to stay with her or anything like that. It wasn’t his fault that downloading the data had been taking forever.

A loud bang pushed him out of his thoughts – the door shook. Lance swallowed. One of the destroyer droids must have rolled into it, trying to break it down with the anti-kinetic field. The strike repeated after a couple of seconds, louder.

“What was that?” Pidge asked.

“Apparently they don’t care if they devastate this part of the ship,” Lance murmured.

He looked around, searching for anything that would prod his mind to work.  _ You can do this, Lance! _ he told himself. What would Keith do in his place? No, wrong. Keith would likely just take the droids head-on and actually succeed, but Lance wasn’t too eager to try that.  _ Think outside the box, think outside the box… _ Argh! How was he to think  _ outside _ the box when he was pretty much shut  _ inside _ one, with friggin’ killing machines bangig at the only entrance?

The only entrance… Was it?

Lance looked up to see the hatch in the ceiling. Bingo! Rule number one: every starship had a ventilation system.

He focused, trying to ignore the repetitive banging and trembling of the more and more strained door. He reached through the Force and opened the hatch. It hung down, revealing a hole large enough for him to fit in.

Lance leaped up, aided by the Force, and caught the edge of the shaft. Pain shot through his hands from the impact, and his muscles strained in effort as he pulled himself up. The instance he slid into the shaft and closed the hatch behind, he heard a loud thud below – a sign that the door finally gave way. He let out a sigh of relief, then began to crawl through the tight space as quietly as possible.

He hit his elbow and his head twice, but eventually he made it to another hatch. He looked through the slits; no sign of droids.

“Never mind me,” he murmured to the com. “I got out.”

“Bravo,” Pidge replied curtly. Shots rang on her side; they had to be close for the com’s microphone to pick them up.

“What about you?” Lance asked, not without sarcasm. “Need a hand?”

“Nah, I got this,” Pidge said. “Just meet me on the ship. Ah, and tell Hunk to be ready for a take-off, fast.”

“If he’s gonna pilot, we’re all dead,” Lance muttered.

“Then you’ll take over after him once we’re on board!” Pidge snapped. Shots on her side sounded a little louder. “Just… whatever! We meet in the ship!” She ended the call.

Lance frowned, but began to crawl towards the landing bay. Simultaneously he called Hunk, who picked up after a minute.

“What’s up?” he asked with a sigh suspiciously similar to a yawn.

“A little trouble,” Lance murmured. “Turn the engines on, we’re coming in hot. Or at least Pidge is.”

“Eh, that’s rare. And sure, I’ll be waiting in the pilot’s seat, ready to fly.”

“No, you don’t–” But Hunk already hung up. “Blasted!”

Lance continued down the shaft until he reached an intersection. The tight space was getting on his nerves, and he had lost his sense of direction, so he took a turn at random and opened the first hatch he happened upon. It led into an empty corridor, so he jumped down and stretched out.

Then he heard the familiar rumble as two destroyer droids rolled out from behind the corner. Lance snapped his lightsaber out and turned in on, just in time to block the energy bolts. He glanced around, searching for a way out, but the droids blocked his way toward the landing bay, and coming back into the shaft wasn’t an option anymore. He already decided to retreat to find a way around, when two metallic balls rolled out from behind him slowly enough to pass through the anti-kinetic shields. Grenades. Each discharged an electromagnetic impulse, which disabled the destroyers.

Pidge went out from behind the corner, her ponytail bouncing about, matching her energetic pace. “Ha!” She paused, as if she noticed him only now. “Here you are.”

Lance blinked, then turned off his lightsaber. “Thanks, but I had things under control.”

“Yeah, sure.” Pidge rolled her eyes, then picked her way towards the landing bay between the disabled destroyers. “But I see you did get out from that room. How did you do that?”

Lance followed. “Air shaft,” he murmured. “And you?”

“I just cut out a hole on the other side on the wall and slipped out, though they caught up with me pretty quickly.” Pidge reached into her bag and pulled out another grenade. “Fortunately I had my precious little babies with me.”

“Better keep your lightsaber close,” Lance murmured. “They may find us again.”

“I wish them good luck,” Pidge murmured.

Lance gazed at her.

She shrugged. “While you were busy with a girl, I disabled all the cameras.  _ Someone _ on this team has to be productive.”

They reached the landing bay – well, almost. A dozen of battle droids blocked the way, but those were the standard models, without any shields. Pidge ignited her lightsaber first and grasped it in the reverse grip, the short green blade aligning with her forearm. She threw herself forward, ducking under the shots, slashing at the droids’ legs and guns. Lance followed after her, his blue blade cutting corpses of the droids in long swings, blocking energy bolts in between his strikes.

Soon the entrance was clear, safe for the rubble lying at their feet.

“Come on!” Pidge shouted, starting for their ship. “They might’ve called for backup!”

As if to confirm her words, a rumble came from the distance. Lance stifled a curse and broke into sprint, cutting across the landing bay as fast as he could. The ship was already running, rising up from the floor. The door was open, and Lance leaped through it, together with Pidge. He bumped into her midair and they both slid against the opposite wall when Hunk took a sharp turn towards the exit. All Lance could do was to cover his head and trust the Force that they would make it out somehow, even as Hunk clumsily navigated through the cascades of energy missiles and blaster fire.

Eventually the ship steadied itself, so Lance dared to push himself up and walk into the cockpit. They were in the hyperspace – safe and sound, though Pidge seemed to have hit her elbow hard against the wall when they had fallen; the other one had dug deep into Lance’s side, the pain belatedly registered by his adrenaline-fueled mind.

“Mission accomplished, I guess,” he said, mustering a smile. “Hunk, get off the pilot’s seat, this place is  _ mine _ .”

“Yes, well.” Hunk spun to face him. “It’s autopilot right now, so what’s the harm? I got us out, I should get to sit here for a while. It’s comfortable.”

“I know it is,” Lance muttered, pretending to be irritated, though he really wasn’t… well, maybe a  _ bit _ . “That’s why I sit there. Pilots got to be comfortable to do their job right.”

“Well, this time I did your job, so–”

“Guys!” Pidge cut in. Lance blinked; he had not noticed that she had approached the ship’s communication system. “I don’t want to interrupt your oh-so-important debate, but we’ve got a message from the Temple… from one hour ago. Hunk, where have you been?”

“Eh…” Hunk shifted in his seat. “Napping? Just a bit?” He cleared his throat, and quickly added, “Well, what does it say?”

“They want us back immediately,” Pidge said, her eyes jumping over the text.

“We’re going back anyway,” Lance said. Still, it was odd – the Temple didn’t know that they had almost finished, so they were pretty much ordering them to abandon the mission. “The reason?”

Pidge didn’t answer immediately – she read the rest of the text, her eyes growing wide, then looked up. “Keith,” she said. “He’s back… But something is wrong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit, I enjoyed writing Lance much more than I had anticipated. I hope I got him right...
> 
> -
> 
> If you read and enjoyed, I have a request - please, leave kudos and a comment. Comments motivate me to write, so you'll get the story faster, and the risk that I'll abandon it goes down.
> 
> Also, if you're an English native or an English expert of some sort and you see a grammar/language mistake (odd phrasing, a word used wrongly, something else), please let me know. I'm not native English, so I'm sure there are many mistakes that I make, which for you are easy to spot. If you let me know about it, I'll learn and hopefully not make those mistakes again in the future chapters and my other writing.


	3. The Rocky Reunion

The fires of Mustafar rose tall, the brightest red splashing against the black sky. The heat hit the side of Keith’s face despite the distance, growing with each step back he was forced to take. He winced, barely blocking yet another strike of Sendak’s lightsaber, searching for any opening that would let him change the direction of their fight. There was none. The muscular Galra with a scar on his face was like a tank – large and unstoppable. Yet despite his size, his weapon flashed in his hands quick like a red lighting, pounding against Keith’s blue blade over and over, so his arm went numb.

The lava’s heat behind his back and the Dark Side’s cold before him, Keith found himself close to panic. It wasn’t how it was supposed to go! He was supposed to beat the Sith Lord, arrest him, and take him to Coruscant for questioning. Find out if he was the master or the apprentice, and what the plan of the Sith was. Prove to the Jedi Council that he had been right – that the Sith still existed. That had been the plan.

So why was he losing?

Sendak’s Force push blasted through his defences like an energy bolt through paper. Keith rolled across the landing platform, dropping his lightsaber lest he get sliced by his own blade. He came to a stop a few yards from the edge, his head spinning, but he refused to give up.

He pushed himself up and found his lightsaber lying behind the approaching Sith. Keith called for it through the Force, and the sword shot up into the air, speeding toward him…

Sendak swung his blade as if effortlessly, slicing Keith’s lightsaber in half. Keith stared at it blankly, his mind needing time to process what he had seen. His lightsaber, the beautiful blue kyber crystal that had chosen him… gone.

The Galra was only a few steps away, grinning madly as he raised his weapon again. “And now you die,” he said.

The blade fell, but before it cut Keith’s head off, another lightsaber, blue like the one he had just lost, blocked it. The Force welled from the savior’s figure, and Sendak was pushed away, his defense neglected in the moment of surprise.

Shiro let out a sigh, but whether it was out of relief or disappointment, Keith couldn’t tell. “I asked you not to go,” he said quietly.

Keith set his jaw, struggling to stand up, but his moves were sluggish. He had never felt like this – so slow, so weak, as if cut away from the Force. Was it because his kyber was gone? No, that was a stupid thought. The crystal was only an aid, not a necessity. It didn’t dictate a Jedi’s connection to the Force.

Then why did he feel so broken?

“Keith!” a familiar voice called. Hunk. “Come on, man!”

Keith pushed himself up and craned his neck to see a ship descending toward the platform. Hunk was standing in the open door, waving, so the one piloting was most likely Lance.

“Take him to the ship!” Shiro ordered without looking. His gaze was pinned on Sendak. “I’ll deal with the Sith.”

Sendak smirked, falling into a battle stance. “You’ll try.”

And he leaped forward, swinging.

#

“Shiro!” the cry escaped Keith’s mouth the moment he woke up, his heart racing. He reached for his lightsaber, only to discover that it wasn’t there.

It wasn’t the only thing gone – so was his knife and his com, and even his clothes. Instead he was clad in a loose garment, the kind you wore in the medical care. That made him finally calm down and take a look around.

He recognized this place. He was in a single room in the medical wing, the Jedi Temple. And he wasn’t alone – Hunk was napping in the chair nearby, his precarious position seemingly disproving the existence of gravity. The sight of his face brought a surge of emotions with it, more than Keith was used to deal with. Happiness and grief, and guilt, guilt most of all. He was the one who had caused Shiro’s death, and the split of their team. It was all on him and his stupid foolhardiness.

Mustafar was two years ago. Had they even spoken since then?

Keith wondered if he should say something or let Hunk sleep, but before he made up his mind, the door slid open and Lance ventured inside, carrying a tray with a jug of water and several glasses. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide when he met Keith’s gaze.

“Keith!” he shrieked with the typical of him loudness. “Hunk, why didn’t you call me when he woke up?”

Hunk started, then nearly fell over, then finally regained his balance, his eyes looking wildly across the room. “I was meditating! Yep, that was deep meditation!”

Keith rubbed his temples. “Why are you here?” he muttered. Then another realization hit him. “Why am  _ I  _ here?”

“About that.” Lance slammed the tray against the table, so one of the glasses fell over and rolled off. It stopped before hitting the floor, and Lance snatched it from the air. Him using the Force felt warm and kind, almost like master Yoda, if not quite so overwhelming. Even when he looked angry. “ _ We _ were actually going to ask  _ you _ .”

“They said that you had sent an emergency signal,” Hunk said. “And that when they arrived at your location, they found you unconscious in some shady alley. Said you weren’t waking up, and that our presence here might help. What happened?”

Keith rubbed his forehead. Unconscious, they said?...

“How long?” he asked.

“How long what?” Lance muttered.

“How long was I out?”

Hunk counted on his fingers. “They said four hours, and it’s been over an hour since we arrived at the Temple, so… six hours? Discounting however long you had been lying in that alley.”

Six hours, most likely longer. So much time that had escaped him, and Keith had no idea why. It had been an ordinary day. He had been strolling across Coruscant’s everdark streets, planning on visiting a few of his informers, maybe find a lead about that mugging gang which haunted that area. Then… What? There was nothing, only a gaping hole in his mind, and the terrible cold creeping up his spine as he searched his memory for answers.

He shivered.

“Right!” Lance reacted immediately. “We should probably call the medical droid, since you’re awake now.”

Keith winced. Lance had a way of sensing when someone was distressed, even when the said person tried to keep their feelings hidden. Another irritating trait of his.

“I’m not going to wait for some can of junk to come and tell me that I’ve got to stay here for two more days and waste time for my own good,” Keith said, jumping out from the bed. The room spun in his head for a moment when he stood up, but the sensation passed quickly. “I’ve got things to do.”

“Things like what?” Lance snapped. “You were out for hours, you can’t just valtz out without any explanation!”

_ Things like finding out what happened to me,  _ Keith thought.

“Watch me,” he said, passing by dumbfounded Lance and out through the door.

Relief washed over him when he strolled down the empty and quite corridor, but it didn’t last long, as the door behind him slid open again.

“No, you don’t!” Lance came out running, then blocked Keith’s way. “We haven’t seen each other for two years, and that’s how you treat us now? Bah, not contact for so long, that’s how you treat your  _ friends _ ? I didn’t say anything because you were supposedly ill, but now that I see you’re as much of an asshole as ever–”

“We aren’t friends anymore, Lance, if somehow you didn’t notice!” Keith snapped. “And I don’t have time to deal with you now.”

Lance looked so struck that the sight of it hurt. But only for a moment. “What do you mean–?”

Keith used the opportunity to slip past him, then hastened through the next door. When he turned, he saw Lance gaining on him again, but it was too late. The door slid closed, and Keith slammed his fist beside the control panel, sending a blast through the Force. The electronics went mad, sparks flashing through the air, and the controls changed their color to red.

“Hey, you!” Lance pounded at the door. “Stop kidding me!”

“When was the last time you heard me tell a joke, Lance?” Keith muttered.

He stumbled away, hesitant all of sudden. Destroying things with the Force like that… It wasn’t precisely the type of usage the Jedi approved of. But it was a way to get Lance off his back for a while, and if he was lucky, maybe forever.

Keith really didn’t have time to deal with him now, or at any other time. It was too much. The memories of the days in the Temple spent on training together, the frequent joint missions they went on as padawans with their masters, then finally the three of them working as a team, often with Shiro supervising them. These images carried too much pain and guilt to face them head on, like he had to whenever he saw Lance or Hunk.

So Keith started down the corridor toward the elevators, trying to ignore both the stubborn pounding at the broken door and the sense of cold that surged through him for no reason at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah, and you probably thought that this work was abandoned, didn't you? Well, it's not. I'm just super slow about it, because I have so much original writing to do. But now that the sixth season is a day away, and my disappointment in the "The Last Jedi" needed to find a way out... Here we go ;) I hope to upload at least one more chapter in a few days (maybe two), and then we'll see.
> 
> Either way, I want to finish this. It just may take some time.
> 
> -
> 
> If you read and enjoyed, I have a request - please, leave kudos and a comment. Comments motivate me to write, so you'll get the story faster, and the risk that I'll abandon it goes down.
> 
> Also, if you're an English native or an English expert of some sort and you see a grammar/language mistake (odd phrasing, a word used wrongly, something else), please let me know. I'm not native English, so I'm sure there are many mistakes that I make, which for you are easy to spot. If you let me know about it, I'll learn and hopefully not make those mistakes again in the future chapters and my other writing!


	4. Meditation

The gaping hole in his memory scared Keith more than hundreds of thugs and mercenaries he had faced in the past two years. The feeling of dread wouldn’t leave him even as he sneaked into the storeroom to collect his lightsaber and the rest of his stuff. Someone had incapacitated him and left him in an alley to be picked by the Jedi Temple. Who and why? Why not just kill him?

Sharp cold surged through his body, making him cross his arms in hope to generate some warmth. The medical garment was hardly an appropriate attire to walk around in, so as soon as he left the medical wing, he headed for the nearby training hall and the changing rooms beside it.

A row of Jedi tunics and robes hung in there, for those who wished to change their clothes before or after training. Keith grabbed one set of the appropriate size, and changed quickly. Nobody else was in the room or in the training hall, which was convenient, but also a little odd. Was it dinnertime? That would explain the absence of any zealous Jedi adepts, swinging their lightsabers alone or with a partner – as well as the desolate corridors.

Wearing a Jedi robe after such a long time felt weird and annoying. The tunic and the trousers were comfortable enough, but the coat was a bother. Loose, long-sleeved, a Jedi would shed it to a duel anyway. Why did they even wear it at all? Keith missed his shirt and pilot’s jacket, but they both were probably deep within the maws of the Temple’s laundry by now.

But Jedi were not supposed to get attached to things… And he had more important things on his mind. How could he regain his memories without making a fuss about it? He didn’t want to sit through the endless medical check-ups or answer sets of silly questions. That wouldn’t work, he knew it in his guts. He had to come up with another way.

_ Patience yields focus,  _ the memory of Shiro’s voice rang in his mind.

Right. He was a Jedi. He could turn to the Force for guidance and healing. Indeed, many Jedi thought it a much better use of the mystical energy than swinging lightsaber around. Keith couldn’t quite understand how sitting and thinking could be better than training with one’s dear weapon, but this time he had no other choice.

The meditation chambers were near the top of one of the Temple’s towers. It was otherwise empty, specifically so the people inside could maintain perfect focus. Of course, Jedi masters could meditate anywhere, regardless of the noise that they would simply tune out, but Keith wasn’t quite there yet. Besides, coincidently, hundreds of tiny rooms made for a great hiding spot.

He sat down cross-legged in one of the free rooms, and took in a deep breath. He still felt cold, despite wearing the coat. Did something happen with the Temple’s heating system? Keith tried not to mind it as he closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift. He remembered the morning vividly – the busy streets lit with thousand artificial lights, people coming past him, the bits of their talks he had overheard. The Force sharpened his memory, letting him nearly relive what had happened in the past, and yet… There was a point beyond which all he could see was darkness.

He let out an exasperated sigh. Did he need a master’s help after all? But who could he turn to? Master Yoda was way too busy training younglings, and his first master and Shiro weren’t there anymore. He didn’t know anyone else well enough to trust them.

Shiro… That reminded him of the memory he had dreamed of right before waking up. Was there a meaning in it?

_ No way!  _ Keith thought, trembling. He didn’t want to experience that. Not again.

But he couldn’t stop the memories from surfacing, and they overtook him, together with an overwhelming sense of cold.

#

“You’ll try,” Sendak said, then attacked.

Keith gazed at the duel in front of him, the lightsabers flashing, the fighters going back and forth. Sparks rained when the blue met the red, blocking every swing. So quick, so deadly. Keith clenched his fists, barely able to see the strikes individually rather than as a blurr. Sendak must have been playing with him. Had he been serious, Keith wouldn’t have lasted two seconds.

The sense of danger made him push himself away, rolling across the platform. Just in time – lava splashed against the place he had been in, drops reaching as far as to force the two fighters apart for a moment. But they clashed again before the liquid even lost its red gleam, their feet avoiding the deadly hot spots in their dance of life and death.

“Lance!” Hunk cried. “Can’t you go lower?”

“I’m trying!” Lance’s voice cut through the general noise despite him sitting in the cockpit. “But… you see what’s going on below?”

Keith looked down as well – the lava was churning, sending columns of raging liquid up and around. The control systems must have failed, as it was only getting worse.

“I can’t go any lower!” Lance cried. “But… Hunk! Take the controls!”

Hunk started, or maybe just lost his balance for a moment on the unstable deck. “What, me?”

“Yes!”

Hunk disappeared, and Lance emerged from inside the ship.

“Come on, Keith!” he called. “Jump.”

Keith clenched his teeth. “I can’t jump so high!”

“You don’t have to! I’ll catch you.”

Keith gazed at Lance, at his extended arm. “You will catch me?”

“Yes. Just trust the Force!”

Keith looked down, feeling a bad taste in his mouth. _ But the Force let me lose,  _ he thought.

“Trust  _ me _ !”

There was little choice. Keith mustered all the power he could, and jumped. Sooner than halfway up, he felt himself slowing down. He wouldn’t make it. It was way too far. The river of lava would swallow him.

But before the fear settled in, he felt the familiar warm presence around him, a Force grip pulling him up. He shot toward the ship and Lance, who seemed uncannily focused, his lips drew together, his hand trembling with effort. But he caught Keith’s wrist and pulled them both inside. The ship lurched sideway, and they lost their balance, sliding across the floor. Keith rolled and pressed his arms and legs against the wall to stop himself from falling out, feeling Lance’s weight against his back.

“Sorry!” Hunk called. “Are you guys fine?”

“Never better!” Lance stumbled to his feet. “We only just almost plunged right into the lava soup!”

Keith shook his head. He was exhausted, but the fight wasn’t over yet. “Shiro,” he mumbled.

“Shiro!” Lance called. “We’ve got him!”

But Shiro was too busy to look back, parrying a slash of Sendak’s lightsaber. Even from the distance, Keith could see the slowness in his moves, the effort with which he repelled the Sith’s blade. Shiro was growing tired too.

“Guys, this soup is going to boil soon!” Hunk called.

The ship lurched again, and flew higher. Keith caught himself on the wall not to fall out as he gazed down at Shiro’s distant frame. The Jedi had managed to Force-push Sendak away, and was running for the ship. Keith’s heart fluttered with hope. They would make it out. They were so close. Shiro leaped up towards them.

Sendak rose, and clenched his fist. Shiro stopped midair, arms raising to his throat as if he couldn’t take a breath. He shook the Force-grip off, and fell back to the platform with a roll. For a moment, a stream of rising lava hid him from Keith’s view.

When he could see the two fighters again, they were once again a sword’s length apart, drops of liquid fire raining around them.

“Shiro!” Keith cried again.

“Go!” Shiro yelled, not looking. “Take the news to the Temple!”

“No! I won’t leave you!”

If Shiro was going to respond, he didn’t have time to. Sendak lunged at him again, swing after swing, until one of them connected. Shiro’s right arm, the one he was wielding his blade with, was cut off. The scream pierced even through the roar of churning lava.

“No!” Keith barely registered Lance catching him, stopping him from jump off. “No!”

“Uhm, guys?” Hunk pleaded. “I don’t what’s just happened, but…”

The ship shook, lava splattering against one of the windows, leaving smoking black stains.

“Go,” Lance said, hoarsely at first, then shouted, “Go!”

“But…”

“Hunk, _ we’re leaving _ !”

The door closed before Keith’s nose, and the ship jerked up.  _ No,  _ he thought.

“What are you doing?” He elbowed Lance to get out from his grip. “Shiro’s down there!”

Lance wasn’t looking at him. Keith clenched his fist, intending to go to Hunk, demand he brought the ship down, but his head spun and he dropped to the floor. Deep down he knew the truth – that it was too late. That Shiro was dead.

The memory should end soon, as Keith had lost his consciousness next minute, but it didn’t come to that. Instead it shattered, and he found himself standing in complete darkness.

_ That’s it, Keith,  _ the familiar voice said from behind his back  _ You abandoned me. _

Keith spun around, icy needles spiking his body and brain. Shiro stood there, a vivid image in the darkness. He had an artificial arm to replace the one that had been cut off, and a streak of his hair was white, but otherwise he looked the same.

_ I didn’t want to!  _ Keith protested.

_ But you did,  _ Shiro approached him, the artificial hand extending to grip Keith’s neck.  _ Now you owe me a debt. I came to collect. _

_ What… what do you want?  _ Keith thought. The cold was overwhelming.

Shiro smiled.  _ Just for you to go to sleep. _

And Keith found himself drifting away, the image of Shiro growing distant. The last thing he knew was an identical voice, screaming,  _ No! Don’t let him– _

Then there was darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with this, you should more or less know how the characters ended up where they are. Well, save for Pidge, but don't worry, she'll be back next chapter! No more flashbacks planned in the near future, only some sweet-oh-sweet drama ;)
> 
> -
> 
> If you read and enjoyed, I have a request - please, leave kudos and a comment. Comments motivate me to write, so you'll get the story faster, and the risk that I might abandon it goes down.
> 
> Also, if you're an English native or an English expert of some sort and you see a grammar/language mistake (odd phrasing, a word used wrongly, something else), please let me know. I'm not native English, so I'm sure there are many mistakes that I make, which for you are easy to spot. If you let me know about it, I'll learn and hopefully not make those mistakes again in the future chapters and my other writing!


End file.
